Multifunction devices (MFDs) offer a convenient way of communicating with a variety of devices from an individual stand-alone device. Briefly, multifunction devices may be used to convert paper documents to an electronic image and then to transmit the electronic image to a variety of network destinations. For example, the multifunction device may be used to send the electronic image of the paper document to an email account, a facsimile machine, a printer, a copier, an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) application, a mobile phone, and an Internet site, to name but a few such network destinations.
As an illustration, the user may send a paper document to a recipient as follows. The user positions a paper document in the automatic document feeder (ADF) or directly on the imaging bed of the multifunction device. The user then activates the multifunction device, for example, by pressing a “start” button. In turn, the multifunction device converts the paper document to an electronic image thereof. The user may identify a recipient for the electronic image of the paper document. For example, the user may identify a recipient by keying in a facsimile number, an email account, etc., using the keypad of the multifunction device 100. Or for example, the user may identify a recipient by selecting the same from a menu or address book shown on the display at the multifunction device. The multifunction device then sends the electronic image of the paper document over a suitable network (e.g., the Internet, an Intranet) to the recipient at any of a number of various network destinations.
In various circumstances, the user may want to access data while using the multifunction device. In one such circumstance, the user may want to access an address book to retrieve a recipient's address (e.g., email address, facsimile number, network address, etc.). In another such circumstance, the user may want to access a document that is already in electronic format (e.g., a word processing document, a graphics file, an audio file, etc.) and send it to the recipient from the multifunction device. For example, the user may want to combine the document that is already in electronic format with a paper document and send both documents to the recipient.
With regard to the first circumstance (i.e., allowing the user to access data contained in an address book), some multifunction devices are provided with an “on-board” or local address book. That is, the address book may be generated, modified, and then stored on suitable storage media (e.g., a hard disk drive) residing at the multifunction device. In fact, a plurality of independent address books may be maintained at a single multifunction device to allow each user to access his or her own address book. Unfortunately, however, this arrangement has several disadvantages. For example, it is common for most users to maintain more than one address book on more than one device (e.g., on personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, personal computers (PCs), etc.), thereby requiring the user to separately update the address book on the multifunction device in order to ensure that it remains current with respect to the other address books. That is, when the user adds, removes, or edits an entry in one of these other address books, the user must also add, remove, or edit the same entry in the address book that is stored separately at the multifunction device.
One method for allowing the user to more readily access several different address books is to provide the multifunction device with the ability to import the contents of the user's personal address book (e.g., from the user's PC). While such an arrangement obviates the need for the user to separately establish and/or maintain each entry of the address book stored at the multifunction device, the user must re-import the address book to the multifunction device whenever a change is made to the user's other address book(s).
Another disadvantage of providing an address book on the multifunction device is apparent when the user makes use of more than one multifunction device. For example, many businesses, or various departments within a business, may have more than one multifunction device that is available to the user for sending documents. Accordingly, the user's address book must be separately stored and maintained at each of the multifunction devices if the user is to have access to the address book data from each of the multifunction devices. Of course, establishing and maintaining identical address books on each individual multifunction device is duplicative and time consuming.
It is also apparent that, in some circumstances, it may not be worthwhile to establish an address book for some users at each multifunction device, especially when the user may only use the multifunction device on a limited basis. For example, a multifunction device may not be set up for a visitor. Or for example, a multifunction device in one department may not be set up for an employee from another department. As such, the user may not have access to his or her address book while using a particular multifunction device.
One solution to the foregoing problem has been to connect the multifunction device to a host computer, such as a network server, that is provided with the address book data in the form of a global directory. While this arrangement allows the multifunction device to retrieve address book data from the global directory without having to establish and maintain an address book on the multifunction device, it is difficult to personalize such global directories for specific users. Indeed, these global directories may only allow entries for people or entities within a particular company or organization. Thus, the user cannot use the global directory to store the addresses for personal contacts (e.g., family and friends), business-related contacts from other organizations (e.g., suppliers contractors, industry professionals, vendors), to name a few. In addition, as the global directory preferably comprises entries for many users, the global directory may become large and cumbersome to use.
With regard to the second circumstance (i.e., that of providing access from the multifunction device to data that is already in electronic format, such as a word processing document stored on the user's PC), multifunction devices suffer from the disadvantage that they are unable to access a document or other data in electronic format and transmit it to the desired recipient. For example, if the user desires to send a word processing document from the PC where it is stored, the user must first print the document, then take the printed document to the multifunction device and reconvert it to electronic format so that it may be sent using the multifunction device. These steps may result in poor image quality, and are time consuming and inconvenient for the user. In addition, the user may not be able to access data that is only available via the electronic document. For example, the user may be unable to edit the “rescanned” document without Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software, or the like. Or for example, and perhaps even more disadvantageous, where the document comprises underlying data (e.g., formulas in a spreadsheet, layers of a graphics file), the recipient will not be able to access the underlying data from the “rescanned” document.